Calvert County has increased incentives for landowners to preserve agricultural land as part of its Purchase and Retirement (PAR) Fund program, with the application period open through November 8, 2024. This initiative, operational since 1992, involves purchasing and retiring Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) to curb development on farmland.
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board oversee the program, which has recently seen a price increase for TDRs from $5,500 to $6,000 each. This adjustment aims to encourage more landowners to participate by making it financially appealing to sell their development rights, thus protecting more land from potential development.
The program operates on an annual cycle that concludes at the end of the fiscal year in June 2025. There is no limit to the number of TDRs a landowner can sell, as long as funding for the purchases remains available. The objective is to ensure that once development rights are bought, they are retired and permanently removed from the market.
Owners of Agricultural Preservation Districts are eligible to apply for the program. The county uses a specific ranking formula based on the Agricultural Preservation Program’s rules to determine which applications are prioritized.
Applications for this cycle can be submitted until 4:30 p.m. on November 8, 2024. They are available on the Calvert County website and can be sent via mail or email. Detailed submission information and more about the program can be accessed online at www.CalvertCountyMd.gov/PAR, or by contacting Jennifer David, the Rural Planner at the Department of Planning & Zoning, through mail at 205 Main St., Prince Frederick, MD 20678, or via email at Jennifer.David@calvertcountymd.gov. Inquiries can also be made by phone at 410-535-1600, ext. 2238.
